There is a dilemma for me. Firstly I think AFC Sudbury are a super club, well run with good people in charge and I admire their ambitions, I'm sure if the club I follow were in a similar position they would do the same.

There is also a case that the ECL wants to strengthen its club base, especially Division One, when looking back at clubs that have left the competition in the past decade through promotion, with no clubs relegated into the competition, there has been a large diluting of the strength of the whole competition, further added to by the latest FA idea of moving clubs sideways out of the competition into the UCL (Wisbech Town and Godmanchester Rovers).

My dilemma is the question should level two, three, four clubs be allowed to play in a competition that has clubs aspiring to play at the same level. Taking this example, AFC Sudbury have the best facilities in their area by some distance and they are looking to play a reserve side in a competition where other local clubs first team play their football. Long Melford and Cornard United, who will attract the better more ambitious players.

If AFC Sudbury were to win the division for say the next three season, Braintree Reserves came second and say one other reserve side entered ie Lowestoft, Needham Market or Leiston and between them those reserve sides took the top three spots, with say Long Melford and Cornard coming 4th and 5th .. What happens.

Reserve sides cannot play at level five so there would be no promotion. The winners of the Premier Division were promoted for those three seasons, what then happens to the Premier Division with the top side going while no sides are relegated from step 4, there is no promotion, relegation at the other end. In three seasons we would not have a competition to play in.

I agree that although the league are desperate for clubs , letting all these reserve clubs in is surly not the answer.For any clubs at step 7 looking to progress the thought of joining a division half made up of reserve clubs will not look attractive.You also get the problem where if you play one of these teams when there first team have not got a game then the strength suddenly improves. Look at Histon res a few years back , they used to sit bottom of the table until about 10 games to go & then would go on a crazy winning spree to get them out of trouble.Think the league should be trying to encourage step 7 teams to make the step up instead.Just my view.

welshwatcher wrote:There is a dilemma for me. Firstly I think AFC Sudbury are a super club, well run with good people in charge and I admire their ambitions, I'm sure if the club I follow were in a similar position they would do the same.

There is also a case that the ECL wants to strengthen its club base, especially Division One, when looking back at clubs that have left the competition in the past decade through promotion, with no clubs relegated into the competition, there has been a large diluting of the strength of the whole competition, further added to by the latest FA idea of moving clubs sideways out of the competition into the UCL (Wisbech Town and Godmanchester Rovers).

My dilemma is the question should level two, three, four clubs be allowed to play in a competition that has clubs aspiring to play at the same level. Taking this example, AFC Sudbury have the best facilities in their area by some distance and they are looking to play a reserve side in a competition where other local clubs first team play their football. Long Melford and Cornard United, who will attract the better more ambitious players.

If AFC Sudbury were to win the division for say the next three season, Braintree Reserves came second and say one other reserve side entered ie Lowestoft, Needham Market or Leiston and between them those reserve sides took the top three spots, with say Long Melford and Cornard coming 4th and 5th .. What happens.

Reserve sides cannot play at level five so there would be no promotion. The winners of the Premier Division were promoted for those three seasons, what then happens to the Premier Division with the top side going while no sides are relegated from step 4, there is no promotion, relegation at the other end. In three seasons we would not have a competition to play in.

Worth a discussion?

Very good input and needs to be looked into by the powers that be...before we get the 'Team Sudbury' 'Team Braintree' 'Team Leiston' situation.

Firstly I think you'll find that the Res teams that have applied have to agree not to play contract players so there won't be the Histon issue. Secondly the level of football and number of games desperately needs to improve in TND1. Finally on the promotion issue I believe that if a res team gets in the top 3 then the next team outside the top 3 has a play off with the 3rd from bottom place in TNPD. Sorted!

The iceman wrote:Firstly I think you'll find that the Res teams that have applied have to agree not to play contract players so there won't be the Histon issue. Secondly the level of football and number of games desperately needs to improve in TND1. Finally on the promotion issue I believe that if a res team gets in the top 3 then the next team outside the top 3 has a play off with the 3rd from bottom place in TNPD. Sorted!

If the club who has a reserve team accepted into Division one has their first team squad on contract where do those players play when recovering from injury? or isn't that the purpose of reserves teams!

What happens if three reserve teams get into the top three? Haven't Needham Market applied, would they have an effect on their local clubs SIL Haughley and Division One Stowmarket. Should that happen are you saying that the 4th, 5th, 6th sides are put in a play off scenario?

While I totally agree that the First Division need strengthening I don't see filling it with reserves sides from one or two steps above them in the pyramid is the answer. Why not play Thurlow Nunn Premier Division reserve sides in the First Division if it is such a great idea?

If the Reserve teams which keep being mentioned are allowed into the First Division, as most already play in the Reserve Divisions , what will the outcome be for these Divisions, ??. scrap the Premier & First Divisions and go back to the old North & South Divisions to save Club money on travel etc.

From my own point of view , ( thing i did state the following on a previous post a long time ago ) I think the main reasons Clubs are wanting to join the ECL from the Essex & Suffolk , S.I.L , Anglian Com Leagues, is the financial costs involved , not just complying with the League requirements, but the increase cost in match officals, and genreal running costs.Most grounds in the leagues mentioned above are not for the sole use of these Clubs, so when it comes to joining the ECL, some can't comply with the requirements, i.e hard standing on at least 3 sides of the pitch, post & rail fencing whether permanent or moveable, floodlights costs , parish councils etc will not let them be installed ( look at Felixstowe & Waltons past problems ). Are the changing rooms up to scratch ( large enough , with enough shower heads ) the list goes on and on, worth reading the requirements in the League Rules.

As an example ( and no reflection on them whatsoever ) I recently watched a match at Bacton , Lottery / Football Foundation grant money , plus i am lead to believe other monies as required for grant allowed them to move to a new ground with new clubhouse etc I know at present they are only S.I.L division two, but if they were to ever wish to enter the ECL , they would have to put in place Floodlights, hardstanding around pitch , post /rail fence, dugouts that comply, covered standing area / seated stand. But there are some issues before any of that could start, the pitch would have to be moved nearer the club house , as distance from changing rooms is to far, one side the pitch is to close to the perimeter fence, again the list goes on. So where would they get monies from to do all this work , is this the reason the likes of Grundisburgh , Westerfield in the S.I. L have never applied , also for those of you who can remember them, Fulbourn Institute from Cambridgeshire came into the League for one season , but had to pull out because the parish council & district council & local residents objected to their plans,

Where do the League go from here , I for one don't know , one think i think is the Leagues below the ECL could get stronger whilst the ECL gets weaker, if the ECL committee don't grasp the nettle / nettles within the next couple of seasons , as they are the only ones along the Football Assocation who can resolve this